Disclaimer: Not ours. SOB!

Authors' Note: Sorry about all the pesky asterisks. We couldn't get the file to save with italics. Stupid Muggle computers!


Chapter 2: The Second Lesson

Fortunately, everyone survived the first lesson with their friendships, spirits, and limbs mostly intact. The struggles of waltzing basics forced Ron and Hermione to give up their grudge and work together, and by the end of the lesson Ginny had overcome enough of her shyness to keep her eyes more often on Harry than her feet. Professor McGonagall seemed quite impressed with the results thus far, for even Neville was making rapid progress. After Harry's indifference at the Ball last year, Parvati was so thrilled to have an attentive partner that she went out of her way to help him.

And so it happened that most of the students were looking forward to the lesson the following Friday, when Professor McGonagall promised they would be adding new steps to their repertoire. Harry's initial dread had faded with the relative success of the first class and he headed off for the second lesson in surprisingly good spirits. Ron was somewhat less enthusiastic, but at least Hermione did not have to resort to violence to make him attend.

When they arrived at the classroom Harry quickly found Ginny while the other pairs spread out around the floor. Professor McGonagall began right away with a review of the basic steps before she and Professor Dumbledore demonstrated several fancy turns for the class. Then it was time for them to practice on their own.

"Well, that didn't look too hard," said Harry optimistically. "Ready to give it a go?"

Ginny was watching Professor McGonagall spin gracefully in the arch of Dumbledore's arm. Harry gave her a reassuring smile, and she swallowed and stepped into his arms. "I guess so."

The students quickly discovered that imitating their professors' intricate footwork was more difficult than it appeared. They practiced dutifully for a quarter of an hour before Professor McGonagall was satisfied that they were ready for music. She waved her hands to the beat as the first notes sounded and nodded to them to begin. "Ready? And, one two three, one two three, one two three..."

Harry found that the steady rhythm of the music helped him tremendously, and he felt more comfortable about leading Ginny when he didn't have to concentrate as hard on the steps. Ron seemed to be doing better also, and flashed Harry a pleased grin from across the room. Harry grinned back and decided to try out some turns, which Ginny managed with surprising ease. He was beginning to really enjoy himself when Ginny's foot caught on the heel of a passing dancer and she stumbled into Harry's chest.

"Sorry," she said automatically, turning to see who it was.

Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were glaring down at them coldly, a matched pair of upturned noses--one pointy and one pug--high in the air.

"Tell your *girlfriend* to watch where she's going, Potter," Malfoy sneered. He gave Ginny such a nasty look that Harry feared she might actually cry.

"Leave her alone, Malfoy," he warned, tightening his arm around the tiny redhead. "She didn't do it on purpose." Harry suspected the same could not be said for the Slytherin couple, who merely smirked and continued on their way.

"Sorry about that, Ginny," Harry apologized as they resumed their waltz.

"It wasn't your fault," she said quickly, turning under his arm.

"I should have been paying more attention," Harry insisted as he caught her again. "Besides, he was only being mean to you because of me."

Ginny shook her head. "He hates my family, too, remember?" she pointed out.

"I guess so," Harry sighed. "But he really has it in for me. I wish I knew what his problem is. Besides being an obnoxious git," he added darkly.

Ginny studied him curiously for a moment. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked, her tone implying that it was. "He's jealous."

Harry stared at her while they spun in a circle. "Jealous? But his family is rich and powerful and he has lots of friends. Well, if you count Crabbe and Goyle as friends."

Ginny raised her eyebrows with a small smile. "But you're *Harry Potter*, expert Quidditch player, defeater of You-Know-Who, winner of the Triwizard Tournament. Of course he's going to be jealous."

Harry stopped dancing and looked at her seriously. "You know, Ginny, I would trade all of that just to be normal and have a family like yours. Draco has no idea how lucky he is. If the Malfoys weren't evil I'd switch with him any day."

"No you wouldn't, Harry," Ginny said quietly. "No you wouldn't." She took his hand again and began the waltz before he could reply, and after a moment Harry realized in spite of himself that she was right. He sighed and led Ginny towards the rest of the Gryffindors to see if Ron and Hermione had noticed the incident with Malfoy. But Hermione was absorbed in watching Dumbledore swing Professor McGonagall into a low dip.

"That looks like fun," Hermione nodded her head at the two professors. "I wonder if we'll learn that step."

"I don't know," said Ron shortly. "Right now I've got enough problems just with these." He scrunched his forehead in concentration, trying to avoid tripping over either of their feet as he steered them into a spiral.

Hermione laughed. "It's not that bad. See, you're doing well so far. Isn't he, Harry?" Actually Ron had surprised everyone with his lack of mistakes, and Harry smiled in agreement.

"Yeah, Ron, you've been holding out on us!" he teased. "You could have given me some pointers before I humiliated myself at the Yule Ball last year."

Ron snorted, but Hermione turned back to him with sudden curiosity. "That's right!" she remembered. "You didn't dance at all last year. How come?"

Ron's mouth dropped open for a moment before he stuttered out a reply. "I don't know. I just didn't feel like it." He looked down at his shoes. "I don't really know Padma very well and it would have been awkward I guess."

Hermione shrugged. "Well then you could have just gone by yourself if you didn't need a dance partner."

For some reason Ron didn't seem to find her observation very helpful. He quirked an eyebrow at Harry and shook his head in disbelief. "Oh yeah," he scoffed, "and look like a pathetic loser who couldn't find a date. That would have been *so* much better. I'll remember your suggestion next time I feel like a good dose of public humiliation."

Hermione looked taken aback. "I wasn't saying you should have gone alone," she protested. "I just thought, well, you and Harry didn't seem too keen on finding partners is all."

"That's because *some* of us were too busy thinking about keeping Harry alive to waste time flirting with potential partners," Ron said airily. Harry felt Ginny cringe and grimaced back at her. Another fight was coming on and he did not want to be in the middle of it.

"What?" Hermione gasped, looking desperately to Harry for support. He shrugged apologetically and moved Ginny a little further away from the coming row.

"I know what you're getting at, Ron Weasley!" Hermione continued, her eyes flashing. She finished the turn and faced him defiantly. "I was not flirting with Viktor! I was just as worried about Harry as you were. I never even would have gone to the Ball with him if someone else had asked me first!"

"Oh, yeah?" Ron smirked, "Like who?"

Hermione sniffed and tossed her head. "I would have gone with you or Harry if either one of you had had the sense to ask me. You could have spared yourselves a lot of grief. But *no*, you had to wait until the last minute hoping some perfect princess would save you the trouble. It's your own fault you had a miserable time!"

Ron opened his mouth to retort and--WHAM!

Harry was so caught up in watching Ron and Hermione's argument he never noticed Malfoy and Pansy cutting a swift path towards them across the dance floor. By the time he saw them coming it was too late to call out a warning. The Slytherins had wheeled past Ron and Hermione with a very unsubtle shove, sending them reeling to the floor in a tangle of robes. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore halted in mid-spin as the music broke off abruptly, and the whole class turned to see what had happened.

Ron was sprawled flat on his back on the floor, Hermione cushioned on top of him, her eyes wide. Ron must have tried to break her fall when he realized what was happening, but now he quickly disentangled his arms from around her waist to lift her off of him. His eyes blazed with fury as he stood and pulled Hermione to her feet. Harry saw her glance up at him a little fearfully.

"Are you two all right?" Professor McGonagall asked worriedly. "What happened?"

"It was an accident, Professor," drawled Malfoy with false regret before Ron could answer. "We were just practicing a turn and bumped into them. We're *really* sorry." The insincerity dripping from his voice made Harry want to vomit.

"I'll show you sorry, you--!" Hermione grabbed Ron's arm to restrain him before he could explode at Malfoy as Harry and Ginny rushed over to help her.

"I don't want this to happen again," Professor McGonagall warned sternly. "Be more careful in the future, Mr. Malfoy." Harry didn't think she actually believed him, but without having seen for herself she couldn't punish him. "That will be enough for today. Class dismissed."

Ron was still fuming as they filed out of the classroom and headed back to the Gryffindor common room. Several people came up to see if he and Hermione were hurt, but Harry reassured them quickly and sent them away.

"Ron?" he asked at last. "Are you going to say anything?"

Ron stopped marching and whirled to face them with his fists clenched. "That spoiled, two-faced, slimy, rotten piece of filth!" he fairly shouted, trembling from head to foot with pent-up rage. "I ought to wipe that snotty smirk off his miserable face permanently! I swear I've had enough of his crap!" Ron's fist hit his palm with a loud smack. "Next time he tries something I'm gonna--"

"Ron!" cried Ginny in horror. "You can't fight with him! You could get into serious trouble!"

Harry was just as angry as Ron, but he realized Ginny had a point. The last thing they needed was another expulsion risk. He took a deep breath and nodded sadly. "She's right, Ron. We have to find some other way of making him pay. Come on," he gestured toward the door, "we can plot revenge over dinner."

Ron's eyes brightened a little, but his scowl quickly returned. "I can't go down there just yet. I might kill the lousy git," he growled, pacing in front of the fireplace.

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing," Hermione said darkly. She joined Ron by the fire, rubbing her shoulder where Malfoy had rammed them.

Harry felt a twinge of guilt. He should have warned them about what had happened to Ginny earlier. He looked over at Ginny and could tell she was thinking the same thing.

"Er, this will probably only make things worse," Harry began, "but right before we came over to talk to you Malfoy tried to trip Ginny." Ron and Hermione whirled to look at him. "We were coming to warn you," Harry added hastily, "but you were sort of arguing..." he trailed off lamely.

Hermione glanced at Ron and blushed. He ignored her and turned back to Harry. "That's okay," Ron sighed. "Malfoy would have found some other way to be the lowlife dirty scab he is." He pounded the wall with his fist. "We've got to get him back for this one!"

"But we can't," Hermione reminded him firmly. "At least not publicly. We'll just have to be more creative, is all." She twitched an eyebrow mischievously, and Harry smiled. Plotting revenge against Malfoy was almost as much fun as beating him at Quidditch.

"Come on, Ron," Harry suggested, "let's go find Fred and George. I bet they'd have some good ideas." He tugged on Ron's arm to pull him toward the door. At last Ron nodded and returned a weak smile, and they headed down to dinner in search of the twins.



Authors' Note: Will Malfoy ever get what's coming to him? Find out in Chapter 3!